Envy
by vvheel
Summary: Raivis meets a beautiful girl who just so happens to be holding onto the arm of his reclusive older cousin, Ivan. Human AU. RussLiechLat.


******Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.**

******Rating: K+, just in case.**

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Envy

Raivis Galante never had the best relationship with his cousin, Ivan. It wasn't even the age difference. Growing up, their family was loud and friendly and had many parties together where everyone got drunk and told stories by the campfire in the backyard. But Ivan was different. As a child, he would seclude himself away from the fire and not speak to anyone until his grandfather and sisters decided it was time to go home.

When Raivis was just starting his teenage years, Ivan was almost an adult. At seventeen, he would continue to seclude himself from the family. He wouldn't even respond when Raivis introduced him to Toris and Eduard, guys from the neighborhood that were a little older than him. He just gave them a half-hearted wave and turned back to watching the clouds. Eventually he would start drinking at the parties, but not in the way that the rest of the family did.

Ivan was just weird. He didn't do anything, had no hobbies, and would only stare blankly at things. It was like he had no emotions of any kind. Raivis had quickly gone from trying to befriend his cousin to being annoyed by his standoffish personality. Once Ivan graduated high school, he joined the military and Raivis didn't see him again for a few years. The family (including Ivan's sisters and grandfather) continued as normal. No mentions of Ivan were made and it seemed that only Raivis would think of him, though he was sure his sisters must miss him.

Years later, Ivan returned. And that was when Raivis began to really dislike his older cousin.

Before the large family gathering, Ivan must have moved back and repaired his relationship with his sisters and grandfather. The first thing Raivis noticed about him was that he looked happy and was actually engaged in conversation. The second was that the most beautiful woman Raivis had ever seen was holding onto his arm.

It was a mixture of floating in the clouds and being slapped in the face for him. She had long, blonde hair and wide green eyes and she smiled shyly at the family members that greeted her. Raivis' father was currently engaged in a friendly chat with her.

It was then that Raivis realized they were speaking another language. German, he guessed, but he wasn't quite sure. His father was a linguist and spoke a multitude of languages. Raivis used every bit of his willpower to not run away when his father led the young woman to meet him.

"Raivis, I would like you to meet Elise." The young woman held out her hand. She looked one, maybe two years older than him. He took it stiffly, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"It is nice to meet you." He was about to ask her how she knew Ivan, but he didn't want to break the spell of her pretty eyes staring at him happily.

"You are too kind. I am glad to have finally met you. Ivan has told me all about his family. He said that you are his most friendly cousin. How do you like your college?"

Raivis blushed. He didn't think Ivan knew his name, let alone thought something so nice of him. It made him feel a little guilty about disliking him for so long. "It is alright, I've barely started, but I do think that pre-med is the right major for me. I enjoy the idea of becoming a doctor and helping people."

She smiled at him again and his chest hurt. "That is so lovely of you to say. I am a nurse, myself."

Raivis blinked at her. "You are a nurse in...Germany?" he cringed inwardly, hoping he guessed right.

She giggled. "In Liechtenstein. But I do work for the Red Cross EU for periods of time. That is how I met your cousin."

Raivis did his best to try to leave Ivan out of the conversation, but it was hard because she kept mentioning him. He knew he should be more open-minded about the situation. They were probably just friends that met in Europe. _Perhaps he even wanted her to meet his handsome younger cousin..._

No, that was stupid. He mentally scolded himself for getting so hyped over a woman he had just met. But she was so beautiful and friendly and a nurse, everything he could ask for. It was like love at first sight. He wondered if she felt the same.

Elise fixed a lock of her blonde hair and gave him another grin. "Would you like to accompany me in meeting the rest of your family?"

Raivis blushed again, looking to her right and seeing that his father had long left the conversation. Funny, he hadn't noticed at all. She took his arm and he tried not to stammer as he led her through the house and out to the backyard, where a majority of the family was either standing on the porch and drinking or sitting by the campfire. One by one, he introduced her to everyone simply as Elise from Liechtenstein. She never mentioned Ivan, but they seemed to be aware of who she was before he introduced them.

"Thank you for helping me meet everyone. I am terribly shy and Ivan told me that they all know a little about me since he had begun speaking to his grandfather again."

Raivis nodded. Ivan's grandfather was related to his family by marriage, but had grown close to them as if by blood and talked to them all casually. Gossip spread fast in their family.

He felt her arm slip out of his as she was dragged away by Katushya, who was dying to get a private word with her. She giggled and gave him an apologetic shrug as she was dragged inside the house. Raivis felt alone again, the fire inside him dying as she left.

He sat on the rooftop, drinking casually as he watched the party before him. He wondered if this is what Ivan felt like. Alone and isolated. He smiled, not noticing before how much prettier the stars were when watching them in silence. His trance was broken by a figure sitting next to him.

Ivan let out a sigh. "I'm not sure I've really talked to you before, little cousin."

Raivis stared at him in shock for a moment. "No, not really."

"It was never anything against you, I just really liked being alone. I've always been very reclusive." Ivan smiled, something that Raivis had never seen before.

"We are your family. How can you want to be away from your family?" he was staring at the stars as he spoke to Ivan. It made it easier to be more open. Ivan was intimidating without trying to be.

"It's very hard to explain. Some people just need to be alone for long periods of time. Going out and being a socialite is exhausting to me. But since I've met Elise, she's helped me get out of my shell. I met her when I was in a really bad place and she knew how to help me without forcing me against my will. I'm doing better now and I've been wanting to reconnect with everyone I missed out on having a relationship with, including you."

His voice was friendly, but Raivis could only focus on his mention of Elise. "Elise is wonderful." he blurted his thoughts out. Ivan gave no reply. "She's the most amazing person I've ever met." He cringed at his own word vomit. He didn't know how much he could trust Ivan with these things. After a moment of silence he turned to Ivan to see the older man staring not up at the stars, but down to the gathering in the backyard below, where Elise and Katushya were giggling by the campfire.

"She is precious to me." The fondness in Ivan's voice made Raivis' stomach hurt. He stayed quiet, just staring at Elise as the light of the fire brightened her features, making her look even more beautiful. Maybe Ivan noticed this, because he broke the silence again.

"Elise is my wife."

Raivis felt he had come close to that conclusion, or something like it, but it still hurt more than anything to hear. He kept his voice steady. "I see." He finally looked at Ivan.

Ivan gave him a shy smile. "Grandfather strictly told everyone not to mention it to her, because she's quite shy."

Raivis took a deep breath and shrugged. "I'm really glad you've found someone to help you."

Ivan smiled at him again and stood. "Me too." And with that he went back downstairs to the backyard.

Raivis watched him go, watched him join Elise by the campfire, watched her hand slip into his, and watched the loving look he gave her as she leaned her head on his shoulder. He hadn't left the rooftop the entire night. Watching them together as they talked both made him feel better and worse.

He really was happy for his cousin, honestly, but he felt crushed inside that he's probably never going to meet someone so openly sweet and loving and kind like her ever again.

He watched as she leaned up to him and whispered something in his ear that made him blush before giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

Okay, so maybe he wasn't _that_ happy for the cousin he barely knew.

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_Raivis - Latvia / __Elise - Liechtenstein / __Ivan - Russia / __Katushya - Ukraine / __Eduard - Estonia / __Toris – Lithuania_

**Please review! I'd love to know what you think! xx**

**vvheel**


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